Thomas fearon



- (No Model.) 5

T. FEARON.

:SLIDING SEAT FOR ROW BOATS. No. 255,265. Patented Mar. 21,1882.

v Irwin/0g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS FEARON, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

SLIDING SEAT FOR ROW-BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,265, dated March 21, 1882,

' Application filed January .21, 1882. (N0 model.)

.T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, TuoMAs FEARON, of Yonkers, in the county of \Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rolling Seats for Row-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to seats which are supported upon axles having wheels which run upon rails or ways at or near the bottom of the boat. The invention consists in providing a rolling connection or bearings between the seat and the axles, instead of having the axles rotate in fixed journal boxes or bearings,whereby I enable the seat to work with. the least friction and without any lubrication whatever.

It also consists in supporting the platform or floor carrying the ways or rails directly upon the keel, whereby I am enabled to place the seat low down relatively to the boat and still have large wheels which will run with little friction.

It also consists in padding or covering the ways or rails with leather or analogous material, so that the wheels will run noiselessly and without jar or much friction.

It also consists in providing the seat with stops which arrest the rolling axles at each end of the movement of the seat; in novel means employed to prevent the nnshipping of the seat when the boat is not in use; in a novel construction of the axles, whereby their weight is reduced, and in details of construction to bc hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a portion of a shell and a seat embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section on the dotted line :10 :r, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 represents a transverse section of the seat detached from the boat, and a longitudinal section of one of the axles.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding'parts in all the figures.

A designates the hull of the shell, which is constructed in the usual way; and A designates the keel thereof.

B designates a platform or floor supported directly upon the keel A, as best shown in Fig. 2, and the said platform or floor is additionally stayed and held in its proper position by diagonal braces 0, extending therefrom'to the gunwalea. Upon the topoftheplatform or floorB are secured parallel rails or ways D, which are here represented as grooved or channeled.

E designates the seat, which is provided with and is supported upon two axles, F, each provided with two wheels, G, which run in the rails or ways D, and, as here represented, have plain straight faces. In order todecrcase the friction of the wheels on the rails or ways D, I may cover the latter with leather, rubber, or analogous material, I), (see Fig. 2,) which enables the wheels to move Without jar or noise and enable the seat to work with an easy and pleasant motion.

The wheels G may be made of wood, hard rubber, celluloid, or other suitable material; and in order to make seat and its appurtenances as light as possible I form the axles F of tubing, as best shown in Fig. 3. The wheels G are driven or fitted tightly upon the inner tube, 0, and between the wheels a tube, d, of largerdiameter, is titted, outside the inner tube, while outside of each wheel is a short piece of tube, d, also fitting on the inner tube and secured thereto by apin, d The axles may be otherwise formed.

Upon the under side of the seat E are downwardlyprojecting pieces H, which are constructed with slots 6, in which the ends of the axles F fit, and between the pieces H are other pieces, H, just like those described, except that they have not the slots 0, which bear upon the axles F. The lower edges of the pieces H and the upper surfaces of the slots e bear upon the axles F, and hence they form hearings on which the axles are free to roll. Inasmuch as the seat is supported upon the axles on both sides of and close to the wheels,.very light axles will do. As the wheels roll on the rails or ways D their axles are free to roll upon the bearings, and hence the seat works with very little friction, and no lnbricatingis necessary. The ends of the slots 0 form stops for arrest ing the movement of the rolling axles F in either direction, and these stops prevent the wheels from gettingout of place-in use, and cause them to right themselvesfif they get out of place, when not in use.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that as the seat runs back to the position shown the wheels and axles run forward relatively there to, and hence are under the greatest Weight,

whicn falls upon the front part of the seat; but as the seat runs forward the wheels and axles move backward relatively thereto, and hence are brought under the back part of the seat, upon which the greatest weight falls in the forward position of the seat.

In the center of the boat is a ledge or center piece, I, which is erected on the platform or floor B, and comprises a longitudinal slot,

[ f, in which the axles F tit, and which forms a guide therefor. The guidef also prevents the seat from being unshipped from the boat when the latter is not in use.

The platform or floor B may be supported in any desirable way, instead of upon the keel; but when thus supported it brings the weight low down in the boat.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a boat-seat, of axles provided with supporting wheels and having a rolling connection with said seat, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with a boat-seat, of axles provided with supportingwheels and having a rolling connection with said seat, and stops for limiting the rolling movement of the axles upon the seat, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with a boat-seat, of axles provided with supporting wheels and having a rolling connection with or bearing upon the seat on each side of each wheel, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with a boat-seat, of

axles and supporting-wheels, each axle being composed of an inner tube upon which the wheels are fitted,andoutcr tubes fitting on the inner tube, between and on the outside of the wheels, substantially as herein described.

6. The combination, with a boat, of a platform or floor arranged therein, ways or rails upon said platform or floor covered with leather or analogous material, axles supporting said seat, and wheels running upon said ways or rails, substantially as herein described.

7. The combination, with a boat, of a platform or floor secured directly to the keel, ways or rails thereon, a seat, axles supporting said seat, and wheels running upon said ways or rails, substantially as herein described.

8. The combination, with the boat containing ways or rails, the seat and its supporting axles and wheels, of a slotted center piece or ledge secured in the boat and receiving the axles through it, substantially as herein described.

THOS. FEA RON.

Witnesses: V

FREDK. HAYNES, ED. GLATZMAYER. 

